Contents

Current Chair Communications

Welcome to the Government Documents Roundtable (GODORT), open to all ALA members interested in government information! Within our ranks are public services librarians, collection managers, teachers, catalogers, writers, Library & Information Science faculty, students, government employees, commercial vendors, and you, we hope.

GODORT members have a special concern for the upkeep and commitment to government produced information and government depository library systems, especially the U.S. Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), which serves as a model program for the world. To documents enthusiasts like us, state and local government information also has unique value, its preservation and sharing being one of the true promises of our digital era. International government documents reflect an interconnected globe and the range of intergovernmental organizations that influence our world profoundly, whether we realize it or not. By popular demand, GODORT is expanding our educational programming this season to emphasize appreciation and awareness of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and their impact on the public sphere. We try to keep a hand in every government information pot.

On a personal note, many of us find it hard to miss the value of government produced information in our everyday lives. En route to work each day, I pass by SeaTac airport and Boeing Field in the Seattle area. As I watch magnificent airplanes take off and land safely, my librarian’s sensibility makes me stop and ponder all those government resources that pilots and mechanics consult constantly. We are fortunate to have Federal Aviation Administration materials in my library (much to the delight of a flight instructor who stopped in recently looking for historical accident reports). What special government materials grace your library’s collection or web pages?

We need your ideas and energy in GODORT. Our Task Force structure allows for concentration on federal, state and local, and international publications. Our Committees unite us around themes of Education, Technology, Rare and Endangered materials, Publications, Legislation, and Cataloging/Metadata. Our operations-oriented committees keep our organization vibrant (Awards, Bylaws and Organization, Conference, Development, Membership, and Nominating). Special officers (Parliamentarian, Archivist, Web Administrator, ALA Councilor) perform invaluable work for GODORT, as do committee members, officers, interns, liaisons to other groups, and other volunteers. We participate in ALA’s Emerging Leaders program, supporting at least one talented new librarian per year. We are busy working away at a Strategic Plan for GODORT, thanks to the continued work of an ad hoc committee devoted to that critical endeavor.

Join us at an upcoming conference or participate virtually from the convenience of your computer. Curl up with a hot beverage and the furry four-legged creature of your choice and read a copy of our flagship publication, Documents to the People, officially titled DttP: a quarterly journal of government information practice and perspective. Providing the public with permanent access to government information is no job for individuals working in isolation: it takes an enormous community effort. We strive to be that community and to have you, and ten of your best friends, as valued contributors.